Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Treatment Options That Work

Temporomandibular joint disorder is a medical condition that affects almost 10 million people in the United States alone. It is a medical condition wherein the joint that links the upper and lower jaw together is displaced or stressed. Some of the most common symptoms associated with this disorder include pain in the jaws, ears, face, neck and shoulders, and can also induce headaches, toothaches, blurry vision and stuffy sinus. For all the symptoms that this condition has, selecting the right TMJ treatment options can be a challenging task to accomplish.



These days, there is a wide variety of TMJ treatment options available for people suffering from temporomandibular joint disorder. Such therapies may range from exercises and anti-inflammatory medications, to bite therapy and surgical procedures to properly address the disorder. However, more often than not, the therapies available for this syndrome are applied in order to relieve the pain caused by the said disorder.



Before considering more invasive solutions to address the issue, most physicians or dentist will suggest their patients to undergo TMJ treatment options that are non-invasive in nature and can be easily facilitated at home. A doctor will most likely provide a list of applicable home remedies to the sufferer such as heat compression, jaw exercises, relaxation techniques and stress management exercises. In some instances, the patient may also be referred to follow a diet plan composed of soft foods in order to reduce the stress felt by the jaw, and the patient may also be required to undergo acupressure, acupuncture, or massage.



If the symptoms of the condition do not resolve with the aid of home remedies, the sufferer may have to resort to pharmacological interventions. A physician or dentist may prescribe the patient to take acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to alleviate the pain associated with the relevant disorder. Meanwhile, muscle relaxants may also be prescribed so as to reduce muscle spasms and teeth grinding as well tricyclic antidepressants to properly manage the pain. If the symptoms are consistently recurring, an injection of corticosteroids may be applied to prevent inflammation, but this is commonly done only once.



Dental interventions can also be applied in order to address such joint problem. Dental occlusal splinting is the most common dental remedy for temporomandibular joint disorder, which can be in the form of occluding splints or non-occluding splints. Occluding splints are splints usually applied by the dentist based on the dimensions of the sufferer's mouth with the goal of realigning the upper and lower teeth. On the other hand, non-occluding splints or more popularly known as mouth guards can be purchased at pharmacies and are applied to prevent teeth clenching and grinding, which are said to be among the root causes of temporomandibular joint disorder.



If all the non-invasive therapies do not work, doctors and dentists may suggest their patients to have a surgery. Arthoplasty is the general term that refers to all kinds of open surgery for temporomandibular joint disorder. The surgical procedure can be minimally invasive or complex, and may include disk repositioning, discectomy as well as joint replacement. Although surgery can directly address the pain associated with the said joint problem, risks like swelling, infection, bleeding and pain are likely to happen after the procedure, though these risks are common occurrences in any surgical intervention.